Tricky Spanish trip for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP

Tricky Spanish trip for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Created: 2020-10-11

For the first time in more than a month, the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship tackled a track outside of Italy this past weekend. The man-made venue of Intu Xanadu Arroyomolinos played host to a stop on the Grand Prix tour for the first time and provided the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP riders, Jeremy Seewer and Gautier Paulin, with a fresh challenge.

Jeremy Seewer had a tricky day in Madrid, but progressed as the day wore on. Seewer actually made quick moves in moto one, to move from tenth to seventh, but an untimely fall pushed him down into tenth. That is where he eventually finished in moto one. The second moto was much improved, as he got a better start on the edge of the top five and stayed there for the duration. A fifth in that final stint gave him seventh overall on the day and also helped him to maintain third in the championship standings. Forty-five points separate him from the series leader.

Gautier Paulin had a day that mirrored that of his teammate, as a solid start in the opening encounter put him in a position to fight with the top five. Paulin finished sixth in that one and was eager for more in moto two. Although he started in the lower half of the field in that final moto, on a track that most struggled to pass on, he charged on to salvage a tenth at the chequered flag and ninth overall at the Grand Prix of Spain. Paulin now sits in seventh in the championship standings, not far from the rider in sixth position.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP will now head back to the team workshop, as the next round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship will be run just down the road in the bottomless sand of Lommel. The fourth triple header of the season will be held in the sand, starting next weekend.

Jeremy Seewer: “Of course this is not what I want, results-wise. 10-5 is one of the worst results I’ve had this year. I feel like I still made the most out of this day with my second race. We came from some tough times and struggles but luckily the team, especially the mechanics and myself, were able to make some positive changes. It’s always tricky on race-day to adapt the bike but it worked out well and I could finish fifth in the second moto, which is solid. The top three is my goal, but there are 18 GPs and this is racing. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Now we put this one behind us and move to the next one.”

Gautier Paulin: “The layout of the track was really tricky, it got really hard and it was not easy to pass. The first moto I was riding tight in the first few laps, but the last 15 minutes were much better. In the second moto, a bad start took me out of the race. It was impossible to pass. I gave it my all to pass and even on the last lap, fighting for tenth position, I had to block pass three times in one lap just to pass. It was really risky. There were many places with five or six ruts merging into one. Obviously, the start took me out of it but the riding felt pretty good. Obviously, I am frustrated today.”

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